


Leo Fitz Drabbles

by lillytriestowrite



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Academy Era, Childhood Memories, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-20
Updated: 2015-07-20
Packaged: 2018-04-10 09:15:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4386233
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lillytriestowrite/pseuds/lillytriestowrite
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A few of Fitz's most vivid memories. For the Leo Fitz exchange.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Leo Fitz Drabbles

**Author's Note:**

  * For [meowlmittens.tumblr.com](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=meowlmittens.tumblr.com).



**Different**

Leo Fitz had always been different. And for the most part he’d been okay with it. He didn’t mean to be, he just was. none of the other kids ever got on with him. They just didn’t speak his language. He was always more advanced than the other children; what he was interested in, most other seven year olds found boring. Though he kept to himself mostly, there was one girl who was nice to him. She was the only one who didn’t ignore him. Her name was Tracy. in fact, she was his first real friend. When all the other kids were playing at recess he would be sitting in the sandbox building something, or on a swing with a notebook, working on complex equations. One day Tracy walked over and asked what he was doing. He was caught off guard, to say the least.

“What’s that you’re working on?”

“Oh… it’s um, a physics equation.” He mentally prepared himself for the mocking that would come next, but it never came.

“Cool! What does it mean?”

He looked at her quizzically, trying to figure out if she was pulling some sort of prank that everyone was in on. The only time any of his classmates had ever talked to him was when they were making fun of him. But she looked sincere. He began to explain the equation as Tracy gazed at him in fascination.

“Wow, you’re so smart.” He blushed a deep shade of scarlet.

“Thanks…”

“I’m Tracy, by the way.”

“Fitz.”

After that, she spent recess with him every day. He would do different equations and explain them to her. Even though she didn’t really understand them the way he did, it was nice having someone to talk to for once. After a few times playing together at school, they started to go over to each others houses. He didn’t know how or why, but he’d finally found a friend.

Even his mother noticed he was happier. She knew Fitz was okay with being a loner, but since his dad left she had been more worried about him. It was nice to know he had someone his age to talk to. But like most good things in Fitz’s life, it didn’t last. During the last week of school, he found out that Tracy would be moving to the States over the summer. Of course the one person who had been nice to him was going to be thousands of miles away. When he got home that day his mother knew something was off.

“Fitz, honey, what’s wrong?” He looked up at her and immediately burst into tears.

“Tracy’s moving to America,” he said between sniffles.

“Oh, I’m sorry. But you can still write each other. It’ll be okay.” Fitz didn’t take too much comfort in what his mother said. He should’ve known it was too good to be true. For a while after she moved, Fitz and Tracy wrote to each other. But the older they got, the less they talked, until eventually they stopped all together. Fitz went back to being his loner self. He figured that’s how it would always be. He had no idea that in about ten years he would meet his best friend in the world who, in time, would become more than that.

  


**Shield Academy**

The day he had gotten accepted into Shield Academy had been one of the best days of Fitz’s life. He still remembered it like it was yesterday. He knew he was likely to get in, but he was nervous anyway. He had gotten the letter that morning and by evening he still hadn’t opened it.

“Honey, you need to open it.”

“I know mum, I’m just trying to prepare myself.”

“You’ve been preparing all day. It’s ten o’clock at night and I’m tired. If you don’t open it I will. What are you so nervous about, anyway? They’d be crazy not to accept you.”

“Thanks mum… Alright, here goes.” He took a deep breath and tore open the envelope. He gasped as he read the first line. We are happy to accept your application for admittance at SHIELD Academy…

“Honey, what is it?”

“I GOT IN MUM! I DID IT!” He immediately dropped the letter, pulled her into a tight embrace and spun her around. He was so excited he didn’t even read the rest of it.

She kissed him on the cheek. “Oh, Fitz I’m so proud of you!”

He was beaming the whole rest of the week, even during school. None of his classmates knew why the normally miserable Leo Fitz was so happy, and no one bothered to ask. None of them cared. But it didn’t matter, because soon he would be out of this shithole and off learning from real scientists and engineers, about important things that could really help people. He could finally start to make a difference in the world. But for Fitz It wasn’t just about the science. He hadn’t had a real friend since Tracy. Now he could finally go somewhere with people just like him. This would be a fresh start, he wouldn’t be the freak any more.

  


**Jemma Simmons**

The first time Leo fitz saw Jemma Simmons was not the first time he met her. That’s because the first time he saw her he was so intimidated by everything about her he didn’t have the gumption to introduce himself, despite how much he wanted to. It was the first day of chemistry, and he wasn’t very excited because he was terrible at chemistry (terrible by his standards. By normal standards he was proficient). He was only taking it because he had to. He was walking to class with Mark, another engineer he had met. Despite being younger than all his peers, they were better than the kids back home. Meaning they actually acknowledged his existence.

“C’mon Fitz, it won’t be that bad. Aren’t you supposed to be some sort of genius? You’re like, the youngest student here”

“I’m only a genius with some things, and chemistry is not one of them. And actually I’m not the youngest one here. There’s another student my age I think...”

“Ooh, you got some competition? This should be interesting.”

“Well, for now I’m gonna worry about passing.” By now they had reached the lab. They sat down at one of the empty lab tables. “Besides,I don’t even know who they are.”

“Is that her?”

Fitz looked in the direction Mark was pointing. Standing there was the most beautiful girl Fitz thought he had ever seen. She had thick, wavy, brown hair that cascaded down her shoulders in waves. She had the most beautiful brown eyes. And her smile, god that smile...

“Fitz…” Mark waved his hand in front of Fitz’s face. “Fitz! Did you hear what I said?”

He slowly snapped out of his stupor. _Shit, how long was I staring?_ “What? Ummm…”

“I said, is that her?”

“Oh, er.. I don’t know. Could be.” He tried to seem nonchalant, despite being completely flustered. Luckily, Mark didn’t seem to be paying attention.

Mark turned to a student next to him. “Hey, Brian, do you know who that girls is?”

“Oh yeah. That’s Jemma Simmons. She’s like, the youngest student here or something… She’s pretty hot, right? And she’s got an english accent…”

He elbowed Fitz in the ribs. “See? I was right. You do have some competition. You should go introduce yourself, make sure she knows there’s already a campus genius.”

 _Oh no. This can’t be happening. I can’t even handle looking at her,let alone having an actual conversation._ “I mean it’s not really a competition right? And like I said, I’m only a genius at some things. She’s probably smarter than me...” he trailed off.

“Jeez. If I didn’t know any better I’d say you were intimidated or something.”

“What? No I’m not! I’m not intimidated I just… see no reason to start something.”

“Whatever you say. But you’ll probably have to talk to her eventually, just saying.” He knew Mark was right, but he didn’t want to think about it. For once, he was glad he had chemistry to distract him.

** Jemma Simmons, Again  
**

“...And Leo Fitz, you’ll be working with... Jemma Simmons.” When Fitz heard those words, he knew he was utterly fucked. He had been successfully avoiding Jemma Simmons for the past three weeks. He knew if he tried to talk to her he would only embarrass himself. So he did his best to steer clear.  


“What!?” He exclaimed, a little too loudly. The professor glared at him.

“Is there a problem, Dr. Fitz?”

“Hmmm? Oh um… nope. No problem.”

“Good.” He looked over at Jemma. She didn’t look too happy herself. _Wonderful, she hates me already. Bollocks, she’s coming over._

“Hi Leo, I guess we’re partners so wanna meet at the library around 6?” _It’s Fitz._

“Uh, yeah.” _Say something other than that you git._ “Or we could just go now.” _Wait, what._ You know, if you’re not, doing anything.”

“Sure, we can go now.” There was a long pause. She looked at Fitz as if waiting for him to say something else.

“Right. cool.” They walked to the library in silence; very awkward silence. They found a table and sat there in more silence, for what felt like an eternity, until finally Jemma spoke first.

“Look, Leo-”

“It’s Fitz, actually. Call me Fitz.”

“RIght. Fitz. Anyway, I know you don’t like me very much but-”

“Wait, you think I don’t like you?”

“Well, you’ve ignored all my attempts to befriend you. We’ve been in the same class for weeks and you never say hi to me. I thought that since we were the youngest at the academy it would be good for us to stick together. And since we’re both brits. But you seemed to hate me right off the bat. I never could quite figure out way.” Fitz was taken aback. He didn’t know what to say. Sure, he’d avoided her. But he didn’t think she even noticed him.

“Jemma, I-”

“No, it’s fine. You don’t have to apologize. I’m used to people not liking me so…” Suddenly he felt terrible. He’d been doing to Jemma exactly what everyone had done to him back home.

“No, Jemma, you’ve got it all wrong. I don’t hate you, I was just afraid to talk to you. See… I know how you feel. I’m used to people not liking me too. I really wanted to talk to you on the first day, I just didn’t want to embarrass myself by saying something stupid, so I avoided you. I didn’t think you’d care enough to even notice. You must think I’m such a prat” To Fitz’s surprise, Jemma started to laugh. Now he was really confused. “Um… did I miss something?”

“No, it’s just so silly. We could have been friends this whole time, but we were both just too scared.”

“Hm. I guess that is silly.” Fitz, chuckled. “Well, how about a fresh start then.” He extended his hand. “I’m Fitz, nice to meet, you.”

She smiled widely _oh god, there’s that smile again_ and took his hand. “Hi Fitz. I'm Jemma.”

  
  



End file.
